Tigers Eliminate Jackson State 3-2 Wednesday Morning

GULFPORT, Miss. – TSU remained alive in postseason play as they held off Jackson State 3-2 Wednesday morning in the SWAC Softball Tournament.

TSU struck first in the bottom of the first as Jordan McClain drew a leadoff walk, stole second and moved to third on Pamela Richardson’s sac bunt. Daryn Haslam drove in the game’s first run with an RBI down the right field line for a 1-0 lead. TSU held off a potential big inning by JSU in the fourth as the bases were loaded with one out. Similar to yesterday’s contest on the TSU end, a JSU batter was ruled out after touching a batted ball in play. TSU picked up the next out to keep them scoreless.

TSU’s Saniah Henderson hit a one out single in the bottom frame followed by Madison Battle’s single. Battle and pinch runner Nya Leday-Johnson stole second and third to set up Tamera McKnight’s RBI single to score Leday-Johnson. Destinee Dixon tacked on another run as Battle scored for a 3-0 TSU lead. JSU threatened again in the sixth with multiple runners in scoring position as they scored to cut it to 3-1. They had the bases loaded with one out but TSU came up with a huge inning-ending double play to keep the lead. In the seventh, JSU hit a one out triple and would score on a groundout to make it 3-2. However, Jordan McClain’s 6-3 putout on the next at-bat ended the contest as TSU remained alive.

Madison Battle led TSU with a 2-for-3 outing and a run scored. Haslam, McKnight and Dixon all had RBI while Jazmine Gendorf went the distance and improved to 7-7- after a four-strikeout, complete game outing.

TSU will face the loser of Bethune-Cookman or Prairie View A&MA at 9 a.m. Thursday morning.